Grain door for cars



March 21, 1933. DITCHHELD 1,902,545

GRAIN DOOR FOR CARS Filed Sept. 24, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l 32' I I 3 I r 66 57 88 7/ Jwmz'afi- 411 177855 Fun/wk an zeal v x 0 v March 21, 1933. F. DITCHFIELD GRAIN DOOR FOR CARS Filed Sept 24, 19 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 21, 1933.

F. DlT CHFlELD GRAIN DOOR FOR CARS Filed Sept. 24

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 21, 1933.

F. DITCHFIELD GRAIN DOQR FOR CARS 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4- Filed Sept. 24

Patented Mar. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATEN-roFFics numx DITCHFIELD, or CLEVELAND, omo, ASSIGNOR T0 rnnxounes'rowir 1 cLEvELAND, 0310, A CORPORATION or'jomo DOOR COMPANY, OF

GRAIN DOOR FOR CABS,

Application fil ed September 24,1930. Serial m;4s4,032.

This invention relates to improvements in grain doors for cars, the present application constituting a continuation in part of my co-pending application Serial No. 478,645, filed August 29, 1930 for improvements in grain doors for cars.

As Well known to those skilled in the art, there has long been a demand for a satisfactory permanent typ'e-of graindoor for box cars and numerous attempts have been made to supply this demand. Themost common arrangement heretofore suggested has involved the use of a main panel or door section pivoted at its outer edge adjacent the side door sill, which main section or panel, when not in useas a grain door, becomes a part of the car floor. Due tolimitations in the width of the car, such main sections or panels cannot be made of the necessary height to close the side door opening and in order to provide for the additional height necessary whenthe door,

it has been customis in operative position,

slidably conary to provide a pivoted or nected auxiliary or supplemental flap or section attached to the inner or freeredgeof the main door section. In such constructions, the auxiliary or supplemental sections have always heretofore beenfolded under or disposed under the main door section or panel when the latter is in the horizontal inoperative floor position. Further, so far as I am aware, all such main door sections have heretofore been made of wood, presumably to conform to the remaining wood floor of the box car. a

The types of grain doors above referred to have not proven satisfactory in service,

particularly because the main wood door section or panel has its upper surface exposed when lying in the horizontal floor position and is thus subjected to wear and distort-ion on its upper surface. It is this upper surface of the main door section which must be placed against the door posts, fillers or car lining and door sills, in order to provide the necessary grain seal and because of the distortion and wear occurring on such surface, proper seals cannot be maintained after such doors have been in service forany length of time, thus permitting leakage of the grain, as will be apparent.

While the auxiliary or supplemental door sections are housed or protected inthe former types of such grain doors,'their importance is considerably less than that of the main door section,the auxiliary or sup- 7 plemental section being intended primarily to prevent will further be obvious that with the formertypes of such grain doors, the use of metal in the exposed portions, lying in the floor position, is impracticable because of the indentation that would take place in the trucking-in and out of the lading when the car is used for other purposesthan that of carrying grain.

spilling over of the grain. It;

Another conditionof practical importance:

in the use of grain doors is connected with the means forinitially relieving "the pressure of the grain behind the grain door be- I fore the latter can be opened ordisplaced. lVhere such grain doors are used in a box door opening, no so-called relief doors are vcar having a discharge hopper opposite the necessary but in cars of the non-hopper type,

relief doors are necessary and difiiculty has heretofore been experienced in protecting such relief doors from injury.

One object of my invention is to provide a grain door adapted to become a p'artof the floor section, so arranged that those surfaces used to effect sealing with the doorposts, fillers or car lining, are not subject to wear or injury while inthefloor'position, so that a proper and efficient sealingmay always be, maintained when the dooris in operativeposition. a a

Another'objectof my'invention is to provide a grain door such thatv the main or.

when not in use as a grain door,

lower portion thereof, whichis subject to the maximum, grain pressure, may be made i of metal of relatively light weight but great that it cannot be injured 7 of the lading main section when the their proper relation to each other and to the car body thereby always maintained.

Another object of my invention is toprovide a grain door for box cars of that type where the door is adapted to assume a position forming a part of the car fioor, the arrangement including a main section and anauxiliary section such that the auxiliary section acts as a protector or guard for the parts are in inoperative or floor positioin- A still further object of my invention is to provide a foldable grain door for box cars, which, when in an inoperative floor position, will occupy the minimum depth, so asto avoid extending too far below the floor level, where it might otherwise interfere with the usual brake rigging and other appurtenances necessarily disposed on the car beneath the floor.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a grain door having incorporated therein a rugged and substantial relief door which is effectively guarded against injury in any position of the grain doo'r'proper and w'ihch may be readily operated to release the grain from behind the grain door.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a broken, vertical, sectional view taken transversely of. a box car' having incorporated therein my im-l.

proved grain door, the latter being shown in full lines in inoperative position and in operative position by dotted lines. Figure 2 is a broken part top plan view, part'hori- Zontal sectional view corresponding to the section line 2 2 of Figure 1. Figure'S is a'longitudinal, vertical, sectional viewcorresponding to the line 3-3 of Figure 2. Figure 1 is abroken, enlarged front elevational view illustrating portions of the re lief door and operating devices therefor. Figures 5 and 6 are enlarged, horizontal, sectional views illustrating details of con struction of the relief door and correspond igg to the section lines 55 and 66 respectively of Figure 4. Figure 7 is an enlarged, vertical, sectional view illustrating .details of. construction of'the relief door.

F igure 8 is an enlarged, vertical, detailed,

sectional view illustrating the guide connection for'the auxiliary or supplemental door section when in inoperative position. And Figure 9 is a similar view illustrating the guide connection when the supplemental section is in vertical operative position.

26 oppositeeach side In said drawings, the box car is shown as having center sllls 1010 with a cover plate 11, channel side sills 12, needle beams 13 and wood flooring 14. The side of the car 1s or may be of the usual wood sheathing type, as indicatedat 15, with a. door opening defined by special track tie sectionposts 16 to the outer sides of which are securedangles 17. To the front angle 17 is secured an ad ditional angle 18 functioning as a-stop for the-front edge of the usual outside door 19, the rear angle 17 having a special weather strip 20 secured thereto with which cooperates ,a corresponding weather seal element 21 attached tothe vertical rear edge of the door 19. -As shown in Figure 1, the top of the door opening is defined by a Z-bar lintel 22, to the outer'depending flange of which is attached a smaller Z-bar 28, the latter functioning as a retaining guide for the upper edge of the door 19. The threshold of the door openingis formed by an, angle bar 24 having a' relatively short, vertically up-'- and a longer, horizontally d sposed flange secured to the-i standing flange at its outer end top flange of the side sill 12. To the angle bar 24 is secured a special T 25, having an upper horizontal flange, as clearly-shown in Figures land 7. p I

In carry1ng,.out my invention, the car is provided witha sheet metal sub-flooring. door opening,sa-1d sub-. flooring being preferably corrugated; as

indicated at 27, and having its'inner edge supported on the cover plate 11 and 1 its outer edge resting on the horizontalfiange of the angle 24. Theside edges of the sub-l flooring panel 26 are upwardly sloped, as

indicated in Figure 3, and "supported on; special rolled elements 28-28 which extend from center sill to side sill, said elements 28 each having an upstanding flange 29 seated within a recess 129 in the flooring 14 so as to provide grain. seal between the sub-floor 26 and the wood floor of the car.

For each side door opening of the car, I

provide .agrain' door which comprises two sections A and B, the former being what I term the lower or main section of the grain door and the latter the supplemental-on auxiliary section of the grain door. Said main section A, as shown, is comprised'of sheet metal whichmay be made of relatively ht and yet obtain the;

light gauge and weig necessary strength to resist the fluid like' other similar type- As shown, said main section A consists of a panel of sheet metal having. a"

)ressure of the rain or 1 b of iadlng.

plurality of integrally formed corrugations 3030 formed therein, saidcorruga-tions be- 111g so disposed thatwhen said section A is in horizontal position, a's'best shown in Figure 1, the corrugations nest'with respect to the. corrugat1ons 27- of the sub-floor 26A With this nested formation ofthe main door section and sub-floor, it is evident that the" total depth from the lower plane of the subfloor to theuppermost plane of thesupplemental door section B when the grain door is in inoperative position, isreduced to a minimum so as to avoid'interference with any brake rigging or other attachments usually applied to the car beneath the floor. Said main door section A has flatmarginal flanges 31-31 (see Figure 3), which are adapted to lie flat-against the innerflanges of the special section door posts 16, when the main door section Asis in vertical operative position, to'thereby form a grain seal with the posts 16. Said main section A also has a fiat front marginal portion 32 adapted .to seat against the inner edge of the sill angle (except where inwardly offset to accommodate the relief door hereinafterdescribed), to form with the sill angle a grain seal along the bottom of the door. 1 The main door section A is pivotally connected to the fixed portions of thecar by hinge butts 33 in turn pivotally connected to hinge brackets 34,, the latter being mounted in the space provided by the sill structure composed of the two angles 24 and 25, as best shown in Figures 1 and 7.

The supplemental door section B, as shown, is comprised of a series of wood planks suitably bound at their inner ends 7 by an angle binding strip 35 and at their outer ends by another angle binding strip 36. The supplemental section B is pivotally connected to the main section A by three hinges 3737 (see Figure 2), the hinge connection being disposed outwardly of the inner edge of the supplemental door section B as the latter is viewed in Figure 1 in inoperative position. By this arrangement, when the two sections A and B are raised to vertical operative position, as 'shownby dotted lines in Figure 1 the then lower edge of the supplemental section B will overlap the then upper edge of the main section'A and on the inner side of the latter so as to provide a seal preventing leakage of the grain through the joint. The'supplemental doorsection B is of such contour and area that it completely covers the main door section A when in floor or inoperative position, said supplemental section B forming a flush continuation of the fixed portions of the wood flooring of the car. When in vertical operative position, it is evident that the side edges of the supplemental door section B will also fit snugly against therinside flanges of the door posts 16 and form' a grain seal therewith.

Referring particularly to Figure 2, it will be noted that the special track tie sections, forming the post 16, are so constructed as to provide vertical channels oneither side of the central web thereof and I make use of this construction inproviding fora slidable guiding connection for the free edge of the supplemental a door section B "in the movements of thelat-ter. Referring to Fig ures 2, 8 and 9, I pivotally attach to the supplemental door section B, adjacent each side thereof, near the outer edge, an angular lever 38, each of said levers 38 at the outer end of its arm having journaled thereon a preferably tapered guide roller 39, which rollers work within the channels provided by the posts 16. When the supplemental door section B is in horizontal inoperative position, the roller carryinglever or bracket 38 assumes the position shown in Figure 8 but, as the section B is elevated to operative position, the roller carrying lever 38 swings about its pivotalconnection with the section B until it assumes the position shown in Figure 9. lVith this arrangement, it is evident that a connection is always main: tained between the free edge of the supplemental door section B and the carside and,

because of the pivotal mounting of the roller carrying arms or levers 38, compensationls automatically obtained forthe arcuate path necessarily] taken by the outer edge of the door section B in its movements from operative to inoperative position and vice versa, while at the same time maintaining proper guiding connection with the posts. i i

:To hold the door sections A and B in ver 'tical position and against accidental inward movement before the grain load is applied therebchind, slide bolts 4040 may" be mounted on the supplemental door section B flush with or below the surface'thereof, which bolts, when the door sections are in vertical operative position, may be projected behind the adjacent flanges of the door posts 16, as will be understood. v v

As is well known to those skilled in the art, it is highly desirable that the pressure of the grain on the grain door be relieved before the grain door isopened to discharge the car. Certain railways prefer to employ a discharge hopper in connection with the relief door C in the main door section A;

Near the bottom of the mainsection A. and centrally thereof, I cut out the metal. so as to leave a rectangular relief door opening 4-1, which is defined by part of the flat marginal flange section 32, flat side flanges 42 and upper horizontal flange 43. the latter being shown best in Figures 5 and 7. Along each vertical side of the opening 41, the

sheet metal door section A has an inwardly pressed vertically extending corrugation 44 to accommodate certain parts of the operat= ing mechanism for the relief door C, and

along the lower portions of the side edges of the relief door opening 41 the main sheet metal door section A is corrugated, as indicated at 45, to give additional strength and also to provide a grain seal with the relief door C, as will be evident from inspection of Figure 6.

The relief door C is, as shown, made of sheet metal and has an upper inwardly sloping top flange l6, vertical section 47 and a lower vertical section 48 offset from the section 47, indicated at 49, Along its vertical edges, the relief door C is formed withawide corrugation'50, (see Figure 6) .with a-marginal flange 51, the sectional contour beingchanged toward the upper part of the relief door C to that shown in Figure 5 where the marginal flange 151 is extended farther inwardly so as to seat within the corrugated portion a l of the main door section A. With the construction shown'and described, it is evident that a grain seal is thus provided between the relief door and main door section A around all four edges of the relief door.

The relief door is adapted to be operated with respect to the main door section A in the following manner. Near the top of the relief door C and at each side thereof is secured a bracket casting 52 having an up.- standing arm .53. Pivotally mounted on the main door section A in three spaced bearing brackets 55 is an operating shaft 54 to theends of which are secured two operating levers 56. The latter are of the bell crank form, each having an offset crank pin or stud 57 pivotally connected to the upper ends of the arms 53 so that, when the levers 56 are swung from their normal vertical position downwardly to the dotted line posi- 4573 closed position of the relief door C, as shown tion shown in Figure 7, a combined vertical and slight outward movement Wlll be 1mparted to the relief door C. In the normal in full lines in Figure 7, the, lower flat portion l8'thereof will bear against the inner edge of the door sill angle 25 and extend somewhat below the latter. As the levers 56' are swung in the manner above referred to, the relief door C will be elevated sufficiently for the lower edge ofthe latter to clear the door sill angle 25 whereupon, the pressure of the grain therebehind will automatically swing the relief door outwardly to the dotted line position shown in Figure 7, and permit discharge of enough of the grain behind the grain door proper to relieve the latter of pressure andpermit of its being opened.

' After the grainis cleared away from the relief door, the latter will tend to swing back to vertical position which in turn will swing the operating levers 56 upwardly to a more nearly vertical position. As the grain door proper is folded and moved to floor position, the supplemental'section Biwill swing down over both the operating levers 56 and:

the relief door so as to insure their proper return with "respect to the main section'A when the parts assume the full line position shown inIFigure' 1. -'Io accommodate the operating levers 56, the supplemental door section will be rabbetted or recessed, as indicated at 58.

Various changes and ,modifications may be made in the details ,of construction and all such changes are contemplated ascome within the scope of'the' claims appended hereto. r

I claim 1. In a car having a door opening,,a grain doorinovablyattached to the car adjacent the sill of the door andmovable to both ver-' tical operative position to, close the lower. portion of the door opening and a horizons talinoperativefloor position; a relief door pivotally mounted on said'grain door and bodily movable therewith; and displaceable' floor-forming means for covering and protecting said grain door and relief door when the grain door 1s in said 1noperat1ve floor position.

2. In a car having a door opening, a grain door pivotally attached to the car adjacent 1 the sill of the door and movable to both vertical operative position to close the lower portion ofthe door opening and a horizontal inoperative floor'position; and a relief door shdably and pivotally mountedonsaid gram door and bodily movabletherewith; and

manually operable means mounted on the grain door for imparting sliding movement to the relief door when the grain door is in vertical operative position.

8. In a car having a door opening, a grain door movably attached to the car adjacent the sill of the door and movable toboth vertical operative position to'closethe. lower portion of the door opening. and a horizontal movably attached to saidigraindoor in such position that the loweredge of said relief door engagesbehind the door sill when said grain door is moved to vertical operative position.

' 4-. In a car having a door opening, a grain door movably attached to the car adjacent the sill of the door and movable to-both vercar adjacent the sill ofthe. door and-movinoperative floor position; and a reliefdoor.

horizontal inoperative floor position; and

a sheet metal relief door pivotally attached to the outer side of and bodily movable with 5 the grain door, the two doors having overlapping portions with cooperable seal-forming indentations therein.

6. In-ac'ar having a door opening, a grain door comprising a main section and a supplemental section pivotally connected thereto, said main section being pivotally attached to the car adjacent the door sill, said sections being movable to vertical operative position and collapsible to folded inoperative floor position with the supplemental section on top of the main section; a relief.

door mounted on said main section; and an operating mechanism for'said relief door also mounted on the main section.

7. In a car having a door opening, a grain door movably attached to the car adjacent the door sill and movable to vertical operative position and horizontal inoperative floor position; a relief door pivotally and slidablyattached to said grain door;.and manually operable means associated with the relief door for sliding the latter and permitting pivotal movement thereof, said means including a lever and link connection between the lever and relief door.

8. In a car having a door opening, defined in part by a door sill with-a space therebeneath, a grain door pivotally attached along one edge in said space beneath the sill and movable to a vertical operative position with the lower portion engaging the sill; and a relief door movably mounted on said grain door on the outer side thereof, said relief door having its lower portion normally confined between the door sill and grain door when the latter is in vertical operative position.

9. In a car having a door opening, a grain door movably attached to the car adjacent the door sill and movable to vertical operative position and horizontal inoperative floor position; supplemental grain door means adapted to assume an inoperative floor position on top of said grain door; a relief door on said grain door; and operating means for said relief door, said relief door and operating means being housed by said supplemental door means when the latter is in inoperative floor position.

10. In a car having a door opening, a grain door comprising a main sheet metal section and a supplemental section pivotally connected thereto, said sections being adapted to assume a vertical operative position and a folded inoperative floor position, said main section being pivot-ally attached to the car adjacent the door sill; a sheet metal relief door pivotally and slidably mounted on said main section near the outer pivoted edge of the latter; operating means for said to clear the sill and relief door mounted on the main section, said relief door being so positioned that when the main section is in vertical operative positionthe lower free edge ofthe relief door isinitially held by the door sill andadapted" to be elevated by the operating mechanism permit outward pivotal movement thereof. 1: i i

11.. Ina car having a door opening and a floor,.the combination-with vertical guideways extendingadjacent the side edges of the door opening; of a main door'section movably attached along its outer edge to the .caradjacent the door'sill and adapted to assume a verticaloperative or a horizontal inoperative floor position; a supplemental 'door section pivotally connected to the opposite edge of said main section; and cooperable means on theouter free edge of said supplemental section movably attached thereto and cooperable with said guides, the

supplemental door section overlying and protecting the main section when the sectlons are in said-inoperative floor position. 12. In a car having a side door opening,

a door sill including an angle member with a flange disposed horizontally and spaced above said side sill flange; of a grain door; and means, mounted within'the space be- 390 a side sill with a top horizontal flange, and

tween saidflanges for pivotally attaching the grain door and adapting the'door to swing to either horizontal floor. position or vertical operative position with the lower portion thereof adjacent said door sill flange, whereby said pivot-attaching means are housed and protected from. injury when the lading is being transported through the door opening.

13. In a car having aside door opening and a side sill therebeneath, the combination with an angular member mounted on top of the side-sill; ofa T member secured to said angular member, the flanges of the T formlng the door sill and spaced above the side sill; a main grain door section-pivotally attached to the car in the spacebeneath the door sill flange and adapted to assume either a vertical operative position or a horizontal inoperative position; a supplemental grain door section pivotally connected to the. free edge of said main section and adapted to fold thereover when in inoperative horizontal floor position, the upper surface of said supplemental section, when in inoperative position, being flush with the door sill flange. j

14. In a car of the 'boX car type having a side door opening defined by fixed elements of the car body, the combination with a grain door displaceable to and'from an operative position, closing the lower portion;

of the door opening, said grain door having 7 a relief opening therein; and a relief door for closing said relief opening, the relief door: being pivotally attached along one of its edges to the outer side of the grain-door and. adapted to swing outwardly from pressure of grain on the inner side of the grain door, the free edge of the relief door being so positioned that, when the grain door is inoperative closing position, said free edge is normally engaged and retained between the grain door andone of said fixed elements defining the side'door opening. I

v 15. In a car having a side door opening,

the combination with a sheet metal grain door adapted to assume a vertical operative position over the-lower portion ofthe side door opening and an inoperative floor position, said grain door havinga relief openv ing therein; of a sheet metal rel ef door adapted to close said reliefopening, and

combined attaching and operating means for said relief door including a manually operable shaft oscillatably mounted on the grain door, saidshaft having a crank arm extension and an element secured to the relief door pivotally connected to said crank arm extension. 7

16. In a car having a door opening defined in part bymetal side posts each having a channel facing the door opening, said channels extendingbelow the floor level the combination With a grain door comprised of an upper and a lower section pivotally connected along their ad acent edges; of

means pivotally connecting the lower edge of the lower door section to the car below the floor level; and means pivotally and slidably connecting. the upper doorsection to the door posts, said means including devices eX- tending within and cooperating with said post channels and adapted to move to a position in said channelsrbelow the floor. level when the lower door section is pivotally swung inwardly of the car and the two sections pivotally told on each other.

In Witness that I claim the foregoingI have hereunto subscribed my name this 20th day of September, 1930.

FRANK DITCHFIELD. 

